The Decisions We Make
by mteagle128
Summary: A dark force from a long-forgotten past emerges, demanding payment for a deal that he will collect at any cost; spurring actions that leave Rin running for her life. Can she and Sesshoumaru find a way to defeat this creature?
1. Blood On Her Hands

Disclaimer: Rin, Sesshoumaru and all other characters from _Inuyasha_ belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the other various entities involved with the production of the manga and anime. I do not profit from this piece, nor is any copyright infringement intended by it.

**Chapter 1: Blood on Her Hands**

_Get off . . . _

_ Get off . . ._

_GET OFF!_

Rin silently screamed at the vile red substance that stained her hands, frantically washing them in the cold, trickling water of the stream she had stumbled upon. Her hands ached viciously, red and raw from the furious scrubbing. She didn't care. She just wanted to be clean again.

She did not understand what was happening. The monk was her friend, almost like an older brother. She had been present for the births of all of his children. She knew something was wrong, that he was not himself. She certainly never meant to hurt him, but . . . she was scared and he kept trying to . . .

Rin burst into a fresh round of tears. No one would believe her. No, he was a well-renowned monk, perhaps a helpless flirt with a penchant for conning unsuspecting well-to-do strangers out of an extra bushel of food for his services every now and again. No one would believe that he had lured her from her home under the ruse of an emergency, only to attack her in the dead of night in the middle of the forest. No one would believe her when she said he was raving like a lunatic about how she was his wife and that he tired of being denied what was rightfully his, madness and evil dancing in his eyes all the while.

No, no one would believe her. No one would believe it happened twice.

_**Five weeks earlier . . .**_

_It was not the first time the handsome son of the village headman had taken notice of her. Over the past several weeks, he often sought her out to engage her in casual conversation, chatting with her about the weather and the happenings of her day, frequently going out of his way to do so. Outwardly, he was a pleasant fellow—attractive, well-spoken and quick-witted; features that made him a highly desirable man to most of the women and someone was a miraculous catch for an orphan and the former ward of a demon._

_ At least this was what the other women of the village liked to impress upon her. They thought she should be more receptive to the attentions that he paid her. Rin, however, was skeptical. Perhaps it was a result of her lingering distrust of others, but she felt he was just a little too nice, a little too quick with his praise and compliments. Instead feeling doted upon, she felt uneasy and suspicious. This in mind, Rin decided it might be wise to observe her admirer for a while, not unlike the way her lord would study an opponent in battle._

_ As she suspected, the headman's son seemed to be exceptionally "friendly" with most of the young women of the village; his niceties all tools that drove towards a very singular goal. All in all, it was not particularly surprising. Disappointing? Yes, but not surprising._

_ Even before that realization, Rin had little romantic interest in him—or any other man for that matter—and tried to explain in so many words her disinterest. Not that it worked. Only after he had made the mistake of seeking her out during one of her lord's visits did he finally get the point; one made with the promise of slow, painful evisceration at the hands of the daiyoukai if he failed to keep his distance. Had she not intervened, he would have died that very day._

_ That conversation had quelled his advances, for a time anyway—until the night he died. _

_ The night she took his life._

_ That night, Rin woke with a start to the sounds of rustling outside the small cottage in which she lived—the same home she shared with the priestess, Kaede, for years until the old woman's passing three years prior. Cautiously, she felt for the dagger she kept under her pillow, a gift commissioned especially for her by the demon lord. Squeezing the cool hilt tightly, she tried to steady her rapidly racing heart before carefully tucking the blade into her obi. As quietly as she could, she rose from her futon and slowly walked to the door, taking care to move in a low crouch so as not to be seen through a window accidentally. Taking a long, steadying breath, she pushed the bamboo screen away and stepped outside._

_ It all happened in an instant. _

_ Strong hands grabbed Rin from behind and violently slammed her face-first into the wall, sending sudden, sharp pain shooting through her skull as she crumpled to the ground. She thought she felt something trickle down her face—blood perhaps? She could not tell._

_ Before she could regain her bearings, a dark figure pounced, pinning her to the ground with his body, firmly covering her mouth with one of his hands; the other restraining her hands above her head. Rin thrashed, fighting to throw her assailant off her, glaring fiercely at the shadowy face before her—until she realized who was before her._

_ Rin's blood ran cold at the sight._

_ Kanaye-san?_

_ It was the headman's son, at least as far as appearances were concerned. The build, the face, the voice—they were all the same, but his eyes . . . _

_ In his eyes lay a madness Rin had never before seen in any creature. _

_ He's going to kill me . . ._

_ Rin fought with renewed vigor. Struggling, she freed one of her hands and threw a punch into Kanaye's jaw; a shot with enough force to send him reeling to the side. Head still pounding from the initial attack, she slowly rolled to her knees, fighting waves of dizziness and nausea as she tried to stand._

_ Suddenly, Kanaye grabbed a fistful of hair and jerked her to her feet, the sharp pain tearing through her scalp. For an instant, her shriek shattered what remained of the night's stillness until a firm arm wrapped around her neck. _

_ "You're too noisy. We'll have to work on that," he hissed into her ear as he tightened the strangle hold._

_ Rin gagged as his arm pressed into her throat. She wriggled her head, succeeding in relieving a small bit of the pressure by dropping her chin into the crook of his elbow. She quickly drew a hoarse breath. "Are you going to kill me?"_

_ "Don't be ridiculous," he said with a laugh, shaking her back into place. She dug her short fingernails into his arm, raising angry, but ineffective welts. "I have much grander plans for you." _

_ She felt herself being dragged backwards, away from her home and towards the woods. She tried to use the movement to her advantage, attempting to swing one of her legs behind him and use a simple throw Sango had taught her to put him off-balance. _

_ It failed miserably. His stride was too wide, his movements too rapid for her to maneuver her much shorter legs behind them. Rin slipped, causing the vice-like appendage to further constrict her breathing and the blood flow to her head. She twisted violently from side to side, trying to simultaneously regain her footing and break the hold, wincing when she felt something jab into her waist._

_ The knife! _

_ Rin drew the weapon from her obi and slung her arm backwards, jamming the blade deep and high into Kanaye's inner thigh, then pulling it out quickly. The strangling grip around her neck suddenly fell away. She dropped to her knees and gasped for air. Somewhere behind her, she heard him fall to the ground, moaning and cursing in obvious pain. _

_ "Bitch," he spat between ragged breaths. "Don't . . . think you've won. This . . . __**isn't**__ . . . over." _

_ From out of nowhere, a frigid burst of air swirled around them, dissipating almost as quickly as it appeared. Then, he was still . . . very, very still._

_ Rin looked up weakly as the sounds of familiar voices and trampling footsteps grew closer and closer. The dark silhouettes of her friends surrounded their two prone forms. She drew a deep breath and rested her viciously throbbing head onto the cool ground, no longer fighting the exhaustion and injuries that drew her towards unconsciousness. Vaguely aware of the attentions being paid to her injuries, she closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep, with a thought nagging at the back of her mind._

_ In that last moment, his eyes . . . she could have sworn they turned red. _

Rin shuddered at the memory of those terrifying eyes and splashed some of the cold water on her face in an effort to collect herself. She could not afford to panic right now. Something was after her—of this she was certain—but she had no way to prove it.

The only thing anyone, save for her, knew for sure was that two men were dead—two _different_ people who, for all intents and purposes, were non-violent, admired, upstanding citizens of their village. Yes, two virtuous men killed by a woman who spent over half her life cohorting with a particularly dangerous and notorious demon. And they would know it was her. Inuyasha would certainly recognize her scent. Plus, no one else had a knife like the one currently lodged in the monk's chest.

Rin heard the whispers of suspicion before. With no proof and no witnesses, she did not have a prayer now. Hell, save for a few scrapes and bruises, she hardly had any injuries this time.

The village headman was still furious over Kanaye's death, never once truly believing the story he was told of the incident. He would certainly send a posse to find her, unless the mysterious creature that was hunting her found her first.

She needed help; help from someone disconnected from all of this. Someone who would not automatically assume she was lying despite how preposterous her story was; someone who could actually protect her from this _thing_ that seemed hell-bent on destroying her.

_Sesshoumaru-sama . . ._

She had not seen her lord for several weeks, and their last encounters had been a little_ tumultuous_ to say the least. Still, he was due for a visit soon—within the next day or so, if she were to trust the letter she received from Jaken. If she were lucky, maybe she could find him in the woods. Then, she could explain the situation and he could tell her what to do. The daiyoukai always knew what to do, regardless of the situation. She had no doubt he could help her, if she could find him—and if he was not still angry with her.

All she could do was hope that she was going the right way.


	2. Returning to Nothing

**Chapter 2: Returning to Nothing**

Faint slivers of sunlight slipped through the thick canopy as dawn broke the next morning, gently illuminating the three figures masked by the light fog covering the forest floor. Fallen leaves and twigs crunched and snapped beneath their feet as they moved through the foliage, until they finally broke through the tree line and stepped onto the deserted mountain road. Amber eyes narrowed as the bright light of the rising sun spilled across the horizon.

He paused.

Several weeks had passed since the last time Sesshoumaru stood in this place—on the edge of the craggy outlook, casting an unusually heavy gaze towards the village in which his ward resided. To say the girl had been on his mind was a gross understatement; calling her an obsession would be more accurate. Over the past months, he was haunted by the thoughts of her lingering in his mind, invading his consciousness like a disease running rampant.

Things between them had been troubled for quite some time. It was no one's fault really. They had both fallen victim to the blinding intensity of a single moment, acting on instincts and emotions rather than logic or reason. They spoke words that should never have been said, while leaving far more important things unspoken. Crossed lines they knew not to touch.

After all was said and done, Sesshoumaru found himself greatly conflicted, torn between the realities of what they had done, all the things he had always told himself he believed and all the consequences their lack of control could leave in its wake. For lack of a better solution, he pushed her away, stubbornly avoiding her, naively presuming the discordance in his mind would pass given enough time and distance. And it worked, for a while . . . until the festering guilt of casting her aside so callously finally grew too great for even him to bear.

This was only the second time he had seen her in nearly two years.

Two years—mere moments in the life of someone as long-lived as he; an eternity for a human woman like her. His last visit since their falling out, those few but irritatingly long weeks before, had been nothing short of disastrous. His conscious weighing heavily upon him, Sesshoumaru came to her with the hope of regaining some sense of normalcy to their fractured friendship, with every intention of having a calm discussion and trying to explain his actions to her. Instead, his time with her was cut short by some imbecilic human wretch and the subsequent argument with Rin over his "overreaction" to the man's coquetries.

_"Overreacting" . . . ridiculous._

Sesshoumaru inhaled slowly and deeply, allowing his eyes to fall shut as he tried to clear his mind. It would serve no purpose to approach her with his ire already raised, save to start another confrontation. He need not sabotage his own efforts. This whole mess was already a shining testament to his uncanny ability to bring total ruin upon absolutely anything.

Killing perfection—it was exactly what he had done.

Sesshoumaru shook his head and drew a few more breaths—shorter this time—scenting his surroundings, focusing instead on the various odors lingering in the air. He paused, his brow furrowing and his lips pulling into a visible scowl. Then, just to ensure he was not mistaken, he repeated his actions again, and again for a third time; all the while, a troubling realization crept to the surface.

_The air . . . it is not right._

A strange feeling of foreboding had prickled at the back of his mind all evening long. Though Sesshoumaru could sense no obvious threat, no outward sign of danger, he could not shake the notion that something was wrong. Centuries of well-honed gut instincts prodded at his consciousness, insisting there was something he was missing. He patrolled their camp for nearly half the night and found nothing out of the ordinary, yet the uncomfortable feelings still refused to let him be. For that reason, he pushed on, waking Jaken and Ah-Un in the dead of the night without explanation, and made haste for the village to ensure Rin was safe.

Sesshoumaru's eyes snapped open in shock, the disturbing truth finally dawning on him.

_Rin is not here_.

She had been there, within the past day, in fact. Sesshoumaru was certain of this. However, her scent was dissipating rather than growing stronger as he neared the village—too weak for her to be present now. Could she have left the village of her own volition, perhaps taken a trip somewhere? Was she still angry enough to simply leave at the prospect of his arrival? Possibly, but it was peculiar that she would have gone anywhere of any significant distance without one of his brother's cohorts present to accompany her. They were always very insistent that she not traipse across the countryside on her own.

Why would she have left on her own? Where would she have gone? A low, dissatisfied growl rumbled deep in his throat, as the scenarios that filled his mind grew more and more disconcerting.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, is something wrong?" Jaken asked cautiously, momentarily pulling him from his thoughts, though he made no effort to answer the small imp's question.

The wind shifted slightly and Sesshoumaru took another deep breath. Another scent drifted on the breeze, one heavy of blood and death. Not hers, thankfully, but a familiar source nonetheless—a source far too familiar for its presence and Rin's strange absence to be a result of mere coincidence.

_What is going on here?_

Sesshoumaru took to the air, abandoning his Jaken and Ah-Un on the cliff. They would catch up with him eventually. If they did not, that was of little concern to him as well. He had but one thought, and it completely consumed him.

_Where are you, Rin?_

A few moments later, the sounds of mournful wails reached his ears. Slowly, Sesshoumaru descended, shoed feet touching down soundlessly onto the forest floor. He intentionally approached from downwind, carefully tempering his aura so as not to prematurely alert his brother to his arrival. He wanted to have a better handle on the situation into which he was walking.

As he drew nearer, he could hear the voices more clearly. Their words left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"How could she? How could she do this to him?" It was the tajiya, Sango. Her brother, Kohaku, had followed him for a short time, before the defeat of the hanyou, Naraku. Her voice was strained, breaking as she tried to speak between her tears.

"Sango-chan," spoke the voice of another woman, Kagome, the eccentric miko, allegedly from the future, whom his brother had taken as a wife, again shortly after the demise of Naraku. "Maybe it's not how it seems. Maybe there's something we're missing. Maybe they were both attacked by someone else"

Sango spoke again, venomous anger finding its way to the surface. "Then why can't Inuyasha smell anyone else here? If she's so innocent, then why didn't she come for help? Why did she leave him out here like _this_?"

Kagome stuttered, hugging her arms to her chest as she looked away. "I . . . I don't know."

"Face it, Kagome." Inuyasha—his voice was irritatingly familiar, chafing Sesshoumaru's ears like a rash that refused to heal. "Rin ain't the same person she used to be. We've gotta take that into account. She's killed once before, remember? That changes a person."

Sesshoumaru stiffened, frozen by the words echoing in his mind.

_ 'She's killed once before.'_

"Inuyasha, how could you say such a thing?" Kagome yelled. "You saw what Kanaye did to her that night! Rin was only trying to protect herself!"

Inuyasha huffed. "So what, was Miroku trying to hurt her or something? Does _that_ make any sense to you? And how do we know she wasn't faking it the last time?" With as much time as she's spent with that asshole brother of mine, I wouldn't be surprised if she did fake her injuries just to pull one over on us."

"Could you two _please _not do this right now?" Sango's words were lost to her companions, engrossed in their own increasingly heated discussion.

"Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome's jaw fell open in shock. "Can you even hear yourself right now? Do you think she slammed her own head into that wall? Or put those bruises on her face and her neck? How does that even make sense to you?"

"Would you two shut up alread . . ."

_Enough . . ._

With a single breath, Sesshoumaru released the hold on his aura, allowing the immense energy to flow through the trees and into the field. Almost immediately, three heads jerked to face the tree line, watching with trepidation as he emerged. He approached slowly, with measured deliberate steps, stopping a few yards from where they had gathered.

"Where is she?" Sesshoumaru said coolly, his eyes scanning the faces before him, looking for a twitch, a sideways glance—anything that might give away her location.

"Sesshoumaru!" gasped the two women.

"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha yelled as he reached for his sword, firmly grasping the handle to calm its rattling. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Eyes like amber-colored ice narrowed sharply as he shifted his left hand to rest near the top of Bakusaiga's sheathe, quelling the rattling it made in response to the fluctuations in his jyaki. "I believe I have already made my purpose clear. Now, where is she? Where is Rin?"

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh, I was hoping you'd be able to answer that little question for us."

A low growl rumbled in his chest. "Do not play games with me, half-breed. Where _is_ she?"

"Sesshoumaru-nii-san," Kagome began, moving closer to her husband, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"You are _not _my kin."

She bristled at his sharp words, but continued nevertheless, irritation evident on her face and in her changed tone. "Rin isn't here, you jerk. We don't know where she is. All we know is . . . is . . ."

Her words faltered as she motioned to the corpse lying on the ground a few yards away. Sango finished the sentence for her friend. "Miroku is dead. We think Rin killed him."

Sesshoumaru's eyes shot to the demon slayer, still kneeling on the ground, staring at the cold form before her. Slowly, she raised her head to face him. "Come, Sesshoumaru-sama. See for yourself."

For the first time since her husband's body was discovered, Sango rose from the monk's side, gesturing for the daiyoukai to take a closer look. With slow, measured steps, he walked towards her, stopping once he reached her side.

"That's her dagger, is it not?" she whispered. "You smell no other presences, do you? No other blood has been spilled, except for my husband's, has it?"

Sesshoumaru did not reply. Instead, he knelt to the ground, reaching for the bloodied tanto left abandoned in the grass. Using the sleeve of his haori, he wiped the blade clean, then, turned it over in his hand, examining it closely. It was a simple weapon at first glance—slightly shorter than a typical dagger, with a very ordinary leather-bound handle and small hilt. Even the black lacquered wooden sheathe was unremarkable.

Sesshoumaru shifted the blade again, angling it to catch the light of the early morning sun on the steel. Faint markings—intricately drawn geometric designs barely visible to untrained eyes—appeared, running from hilt to tip along the straight edge of the knife; marking identical to the ones on his own sword, Bakusaiga. It was a jab at humor on Toutousai's part; the old badger claiming that despite the daiyoukai's request to forge an ordinary blade for her, he wanted to ensure she would always know who gifted her with that item, lest her other suitors decided to give her equally uninteresting weapons as well. At least that was what had been written on the note left on the knife. Toutousai himself was nowhere to be found.

Yes, the uniqueness of her weapon came from those etchings on the blade itself—that and Rin's efficiency in wielding it. Sesshoumaru had seen to her training personally. She lacked both the natural talent and inclination for combat, but she practiced for hours each day anyway. All because he told her it was important for her to be able to defend herself. He had hoped she would never have to use those skills, hoping he would always be there to protect her; to fight in her stead. He snorted at the notion. He was old enough to know not to indulge himself in such naïve frivolities of the mind.

"It's hers, isn't it?" the taijiya asked softly, her voice pulling him from his thoughts.

Sesshoumaru nodded as he rose to his feet. It was a truly damning scenario, to be sure. Rin's weapon was abandoned, left lying in the dirt, covered in the blood of a dead man. There was no evidence that another party had been present. And it was obvious that she had fled. He could track her fleeting scent drifting northward. The innocent had little reason to flee.

The real question was why. Why kill the monk? Rin was not the type of person to kill at all, much less indiscriminately. Had he threatened her? That seemed to be the most likely motivator, but then, why did he attack her in the first place? Was he insane? Possessed perhaps? But if it was self-defense, why did she run? Why did she not seek help as she apparently had before?

_Unless she was not protecting herself at all . . . _

Perhaps Rin was the one who had gone mad.

_No. Something still is not right. _

Sesshoumaru looked at the body again. He allowed the knife to fall to the ground, then, drew Tenseiga. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to relax, quietly allowing the power of the fang to flow through him; waiting for the telltale pulse that would cue him to return the monk's soul to its fallen body.

_Nothing . . . How peculiar._

Slowly he opened his eyes, letting his focus settle on the corpse. "How long has he been dead?"

"It could not be more than a few hours," Sango replied. "It was well past dark when Miroku and I went to bed. And Inuyasha found him here just before dawn."

"I see." Sesshoumaru said, as he slipped Tenseiga into its sheathe.

"You cannot save him then?" Sango asked as fresh tears began silently streaming down her cheeks.

"It is too late for him," he replied plainly. Sesshoumaru was certain now. If the monk had truly died as recently as they claimed, the minions of the Netherworld should have still been there, preparing to take his soul to the netherworld. He should have been able to see them, to slay them and revive Miroku. Yet they were gone, which meant one of two things. Either the monk's soul had been devoured by another creature, leaving no soul for them to claim, or he had been dead far longer than they believed and another creature was using his corpse for their own devices. While both scenarios vindicated his ward, they also put her in grave danger.

Sesshoumaru knelt to the ground to collect the discarded dagger. "Rin did not do this."

"And how exactly do you know that?" Inuyasha quipped.

"It figures that a simpleton like you would not be able to decipher that on your own, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru snipped, fighting the urge to roll his eyes in disgust. "Unless the monk had previously been resurrected or his life force had been sustained by artificial means, then he should have been revived by Tenseiga. The only other explanation is that he has been dead longer than the few hours you claim. He was either possessed or," he paused, turning his attention back to the taijiya, "the man with whom shared your bed was an imposter."

Sango's face drained of all color. "No . . . No! That's not possible! I know my husband! I would have known that something was wrong!"

"Perhaps you are not as astute as you believe yourself to be. Humans tend to exaggerate their abilities." With a smooth motion, Sesshoumaru tucked the dagger into the sash around his waist and turned on his heel, making his way back to the woods.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing? You can't take that!" Kagome shouted, running out from behind Inuyasha to block his path. "That's evidence!"

Sesshoumaru paused, quirking an eyebrow at the woman before him. "I think not. Now, step aside."

"Kagome, you idiot! What're you doing?" Inuyasha yelled, as he dashed between her and the daiyoukai. "Sesshoumaru, don't you touch her!"

"Inuyasha, you and your woman are in my way," Sesshoumaru hissed; amber eyes glaring at them with great irritation. "_Move_."

"Not a chance!" Kagome said firmly, folding her arms across her chest in defiance of both her brother-in-law and her husband. "All you've done is offer another theory, not prove Rin's innocence. Do you honestly think I want to believe she did this? No! But, like it or not, Sesshoumaru, that's evidence and we have to keep it here until this is fully investigated."

"She's got a point, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said, extending his hand towards his brother. "Hand it over."

"You block my path, besmirch the honor of my ward, then presume to make demands of me, all in the same breath?" he spat, disgust contorting his stony features into a deep scowl. Dark clouds gathered across the morning sky as the already humid summer air grew unbearably hot, crackling and popping as Sesshoumaru's aura grew more and more virulent. "Hanyou, you forget your place."

"Ha! My place? You've got some fucking nerve," Inuyasha snapped. He immediately drew Tessaiga, taking a defensive pose with the transformed sword. "You're the one who came into _my_ turf, acting like you owned the damn place! If anyone needs to know their place, it's _you_."

"And _you_ intend to become my subjugator? Your words will put you in your grave." Sesshoumaru mocked, casting a passing glance at the heirloom sword before leveling blazing eyes at his brother. "But perhaps today is a good day for you to die. Your friend is waiting to greet you in hell."

"Son of a bitch!" Inuyasha yelled, roughly shoving Kagome out of the way as he rushed towards the daiyoukai. "I'm gonna kick your ass!"

Sesshoumaru stood unfazed, waiting for the angry half-breed to draw closer. Inuyasha was so easily moved to rash action. He was nothing if not predictable.

_ Pathetic . . ._

With a flick of his wrist, he unfurled the light whip formed by the jyaki in his hand. Inuyasha cursed as it slashed into his arm; the mighty sword sent flying out of his hand, reverting to its original state once it hit the ground.

Sesshoumaru took advantage of his opponent's momentary disorientation. He pounced, tackling Inuyasha to the ground with a violent thud. He leaned back onto his knees and threw a solid punch into the hanyou's jaw; the cracking bone bringing the demon disturbingly sweet satisfaction.

He went for another blow, but Inuyasha jerked away, just enough to miss another direct hit to the face. He tried to kick out of the hold, but failed to dislodge the daiyoukai straddling his chest. "Damn it, Sesshoumaru! What is your fucking problem?"

"My problem? _My_ _problem_? A useless hanyou is my problem," snarled the demon lord, his cool façade lost to the seething fury coursing through his veins, his jyaki swirling wildly around them. Sesshoumaru wrapped a large hand around Inuyasha's throat and squeezed tightly; poison freely dripping from his claws. Inuyasha winced as the acid began to dissolve flesh with a sickening sizzle. He began thrashing more furiously, attempting to break away from the daiyoukai's murderous grasp. "I trusted you to protect Rin in my absence and you failed miserably."

"_What?_" Inuyasha gaped. "_I_ didn't protect her? You fucking hypocrite! What about you? _You're_ the one who used her up and threw her away like she was trash!"

"You know _nothing_ of what happened between us," Sesshoumaru hissed; his own voice cracking as he fought for control of the transformation. "Don't speak as if you do."

"I know . . . _enough_ . . . you soulless prick," Inuyasha hissed; his words barely audible from the lack of air—more a movement of the lips than actual speech. It did not matter. The sound of the half-breed's voice was disgusting, if only because it reminded him of the regrets lingering in his own mind—regrets that certainly had nothing to do with _him_.

Then the bastard had the audacity to spit in his face.

The fleeting remnants of Sesshoumaru's steely control vanished like dust. Golden eyes bled to red. Smooth magenta stripes grew long and jagged, as did the fangs in his mouth. The blood trickling down Inuyasha's neck flowed faster as dagger-like claws dug deeper into his skin.

Sesshoumaru leaned forward, pushing all his weight onto his brother's windpipe. Inuyasha was fighting for consciousness; his eyelids fluttering as his face grew darker and darker. On any other day, watching Inuyasha on the cusp of death would bring a smile to his face.

Not today. Not while Rin was out there somewhere—lost, alone, possibly injured and certainly terrified. Somehow this made killing the half-breed less satisfying.

_Fuck it . . ._

Sesshoumaru stood, dragging his brother to his feet, his hand still tightly clamped around his neck. Then, with barely any show of effort, he slung the limp body into a tree, like a child disposing of a rag doll.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome shrieked as her husband collided with the thick trunk with a sickening crack. She rushed to his side as he fell to the ground. He gasped for breath, coughing violently as air returned to his lungs

"Pray nothing has happened to her, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru warned, throwing a chilling glance over his shoulder at the barely conscious figure. "If Rin has been harmed in any way, not even the ashes of this pathetic village will remain to mourn your mistake."

Sesshoumaru turned and walked away angrily, following the direction where Rin's scent was the strongest. He ignored the comments of the two human women. How dare those fools accuse her of something so heinous? Yes, her dagger was undoubtedly the weapon used to kill the monk. Yes, she had killed that other man as well, though from what he could discern from the piecemeal story, it was self-defense. He would not have cared if it was not. He met the louse once and would have killed him that very day, had she not intervened.

Rin did the world a favor, ridding it of that vermin.

She would never see it that way though. She was sensitive to those sorts of things; a result of the trauma she endured as a child, he presumed. Rin was no fool though. She understood the necessity behind fighting, behind warfare and behind the philosophy of kill or be killed. This did not mean she was equipped to handle the mental burden of taking a life.

Although, it was true that she had not been the same since Kaede's passing those few years ago . . .

Sesshoumaru shook his head. No, that was not it—not entirely. Despair and depression over Kaede's death was not the reason she changed. She was healing; her heart mending from the loss of losing one so close to her. She would have been fine. It was that damned night she spent with him. That was what changed her. _He_ changed her; his carelessness, his thoughtlessness throwing her back into that blackness, leaving her to drown in her own pain. Nevertheless, none of this made her the cold, calculated killer they claimed her to be.

She was not him.

As he walked, a slight rustle of the bushes caught his ear. Casting a sideways glance, he noticed a small tanuki hidden in the undergrowth. Black beady eyes stared into the crimson-tainted gaze of the daiyoukai for a fleeting moment before the creature scampered away. Turning his head, he refocused himself on the task of tracking Rin.

Still, he could not shake the feeling he was being watched.


	3. That Which Lurks

****Disclaimer: Rin, Sesshoumaru and all other characters from _Inuyasha_ belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the other various entities involved with the production of the manga and anime. I do not profit from this piece, nor is any copyright infringement intended by it.

A/N: Finally! Chapter 3 is done! Sorry this took so long. There was a lot of writer's block in the way. I'd like to thank my BF and Tomoe for helping me get the bugs out of this chapter.

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 3: That Which Lurks<strong>

_Shit! Not again!_

The husky brown creature darted between two bushes, racing away from the considerably larger fox—the third animal that day to attempt to make him a meal. He quickly dashed up the closest tree he could find and looked down at his adversary with disdain. He would have to wait until the fox grew tired and left to find more accommodating prey.

Chusthan let out a frustrated growl. Being trapped inside such a small animal was terribly inconvenient. Granted, it was quite fortunate that the tanuki had come along when it did. Without a new host, he very easily could have faded away into nothingness; much like the morning fog beneath the heat of the sun.

He loathed the hand fate had dealt him. For five hundred years, he had been bodiless, forced to jump from host to host, like some common parasite. He could barely remember the days when he had a body that was truly his own, not just some borrowed corpse with only days before he began to rot away; sometimes a few weeks if he was lucky. This impermanence of form was his curse; his punishment for recklessly and unwittingly bargaining away his original body.

All magic has a price. He was simply too naïve at the time to realize it.

All that would change though. Soon, the centuries of searching for a cure, the endless waiting and wanting would be at an end. The time was right—the summer solstice only a few short days away. He had finally found the girl; the one born for the sole purpose of serving as the vessel of his rebirth into the physical world. She was the key to the success of his entire plan.

And she had proved to be more than a little difficult.

Chusthan had wanted to woo her. After all, as her betrothed, it would be better if his bride came to him willingly, fully aware of her purpose. It would have made the process simpler. Nevertheless, it was her fate, and she would simply have to accept that. He was running out of time to execute his plan.

Accept, and stop destroying his vessels in the meantime.

He thought he had made a spectacular choice in possessing the boy. He was handsome, young and healthy—the latter being of greater importance as it allowed him more time before his host began to decay. Plus, he already seemed to have a rapport with the girl.

In retrospect, Chusthan thought that he should have been more subtle, more patient. He should not have gone to her the night he took control of the boy. It was always more difficult to control himself when he was fighting to subdue the soul of the body he invaded. Then, he probably would not have attacked her. It would have prevented many other problems.

The girl became a virtual shut-in, refusing to leave her home without an escort. Her friends did not help matters either. They became exceptionally protective of her as well, making access to her nearly impossible.

Then, there was the monk—that goddamned, meddlesome monk.

He had almost blown the entire thing. After the attack on the girl, he had taken it upon himself to investigate her claims of the dead boy possessing demonic-looking eyes, which uncovered a variety of odd occurrences, all which could be linked back to Chusthan. Considering his keen spiritual powers, it would have only been a matter of time before everything was discovered.

The monk had gotten far too close. He had had to go. And Chusthan needed to escape with the girl before anyone else grew suspicious.

Obviously, not everything proceeded according to plan.

Damaged as she was, the girl was still a fighter—smart, tenacious and stubbornly unwilling to yield. His attempts to catch her off-guard had been complete failures. The appearance of the inuyoukai, who also seemed to have great interest in his intended, only complicated matters.

He needed a new plan.

He needed a new body.

He needed to find the girl.

But first, he needed to get out of the fucking tree.

The fox seemed to finally have grown bored and wandered away, tired of playing the waiting game with his lunch. Chusthan quietly descended from the branches, cautiously looking around for any sign that the fox may still be in the area, hidden amongst the shrubs, waiting to ambush him.

When he was sure his assailant was gone, he moved into the undergrowth, moved deeper into the forest. His first order of business was locating a new body. That would be the easy part. There were always travelers wandering through these woods; travelers who were dumb enough to pet strange animals.

It was only a matter of time.

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><p>Thanks for reading! Please feel free to leave a review and let me know how I'm doing! :)<p> 


	4. The Fuss Over a Girl

Disclaimer: Rin, Sesshoumaru and all other characters from _Inuyasha_ belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the other various entities involved with the production of the manga and anime. I do not profit from this piece, nor is any copyright infringement intended by it.

A/N: Hot damn! Two chapters in one week! This is a world record or something, lol! Tomoe, this one's a little longer for you! ;-)

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 4: The Fuss Over A Girl<strong>

The patter of rain lightly tapped on the thatched roof of the meeting hall. Small bamboo lanterns flickered in the dimly lit room. Nervous murmurs rippled through the air; agitated chatter blending into little more than an unintelligible buzz.

Inuyasha's sensitive ears twitched, irritated by the noise. He leaned to the side, whispering into Kagome's ear. "Why do we need to be here again?"

Kagome shook her head. "I'm not sure. All I know is Tsunomi-sama called a town meeting."

"Because of what happened to Miroku?"

"Probably," the miko replied, her face twisting into a thoughtful frown.

Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, closely watching the curious expression on his wife's face. "What's up?"

Kagome took a deep breath. "Something about all this has been bugging me. I keep thinking about what Sesshoumaru said, about how Miroku was already dead before the attack ever happened."

"Yeah, so?"

"What if your brother was right?"

"What?" Inuyasha said, jerking backwards. "You're really buying that load of crap?"

"Think about it," Kagome explained. "Kagura was able to manipulate corpses with her powers. What if there is another demon out there capable of doing the same thing?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms across his chest and looked at the ground, his brow furrowed in deep thought. After a moment, he returned his attention to his wife. "Let's say you're right, and there is another demon out there. What would it want with Rin?"

"Who knows? Maybe he was using Rin to get to Sesshoumaru. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened."

Inuyasha nodded in agreement, recalling several instances when Naraku and other demons had tried to use the girl to draw the daiyoukai into a variety of different traps. And contrary to everything Sesshoumaru said about humans, how he proclaimed their uselessness and his disgust at their existence, he always came for Rin—_always_. "You think that's why he came back? Because he knew someone or something he pissed off was coming after Rin?"

Kagome shrugged. "It's entirely possible. It's way more likely than him coming back to apologize to Rin for being such a complete ass."

"True," he said with a snort. "He might have finally wised up though. Sesshoumaru's weird when it comes to her. But yeah, it's more likely that he thought something was after her, and he was trying to beat it here."

"But why wouldn't he have mentioned anything to us?" Kagome asked. "Especially once he knew Rin was missing."

"Don't know," Inuyasha replied, with a shrug of his own. "It's not surprising though. Sesshoumaru's not been one to ask for help or share information with anyone though."

The loud clap of a wooden block against a table cut through the clamor, quickly and effectively bringing silence to the room. All eyes drew to the man seated at the table—Tsunomi, the village headman.

He was stocky in build, not yet showing the telltale widening of his waistline of other men his age, but not lanky as a young man would be. His broad chin was covered in a thick, but well-groomed beard. Salt and pepper hair was slicked back into a high topknot. His eyes were sharp and focused. He might have seemed young once, but the pain of losing a son was chiseled into the lines of his face and the circles under his eyes.

"Thank you all for coming on this mournful day," Tsunomi began, his deep, gravelly voice echoing through the room. "It is truly a shame when a valued member of our community is cut down in his prime. It is even more woeful when it happens in such a heinous manner."

Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged glances as he continued. "As most of you already know, I lost my beloved son, Kanaye, just a few short weeks ago. He too was the victim of a tragic attack."

"Victim, my ass," Kagome hissed under her breath.

"Both attacks were perpetrated by the same individual. The girl, Rin, whom our late priestess, Kaede, welcomed into her home—our homes—to liberate her from a fruitless future; a future of nomadism and cohorting with . . .," Tsunomi paused, his bitter eyes meeting Inuyasha's, "scum."

Inuyasha scowled. _Lowly demon scum . . . just come out and say it._

"Kaede tried her best to rehabilitate her, to bring her to a correct way of thinking, but alas, her efforts were in vain. That girl continued to associate with those beasts, and now look!" Tsunomi slammed his fist into the table, causing many in the crowd to jump. "She has become one! She is killing her own kind! Brutally, she slayed two fine upstanding men, for absolutely no reason!"

Kagome shot a worried glance at Inuyasha. Her eyes said it all.

_This is bad. This is very, very bad._

Tsunomi continued his tirade. "Her reign of terror must be stopped, before she kills again! That is why I am offering a reward of 10,000 ryo to the man who brings me her head!"

A roar of excited voices suddenly erupted throughout the room. Inuyasha winced, flattening his hands against his head, trying his best to muffle his delicate ears from the deafening noise. A voice yelled over the ruckus. "What of the demons that she is usually with? What do we do if they get in the way?"

"Kill them too!"

Inuyasha leapt to his feet. "Are you crazy? You can't be serious! Letting these people go after Rin like that! It's irresponsible!"

Kagome quickly stood, voicing her support for her husband. "Inuyasha's right. We don't even know if she's guilty! What if it was self-defense, like the _first _time?"

"Self-defense, huh?" Tsunomi hissed, clenching his jaw as he leveled a cold stare at the miko. "Your connection to the girl doesn't change the facts. She has killed two men and she must be brought to justice."

"You idiot!" Inuyasha yelled. "You're encouraging these poor dopes to go after a girl who's protected by demons they don't know a thing about! You have no idea what Sesshoumaru is capable of! Humans are like ants to him!"

"Really?" Tsunomi replied, a smirk pulling at his lips. "I heard he was rather fond of ants."

"Argh!" Inuyasha growled, throwing his arms into the air in frustration. "That's not the point! If any of you guys go after Rin, if any of you try to hurt her, Sesshoumaru won't hesitate to kill you. He won't even blink. Hell, the bastard'll probably turn it into a game—maybe see how many pieces he can cut you into before you actually die."

Tsunomi leaned forward, resting his chin against folded hands. "So what would you suggest we poor, pathetic wimps do, Inuyasha?"

Golden eyes narrowed at the man seated across the room. What would they do? He had to think of something. This witch hunt would turn into a massacre otherwise. Tsunomi might not believe, but Inuyasha knew, without a doubt, that his brother would slaughter anyone who dared to harm one hair on Rin's head or who stood in his way of finding the girl. The only way anyone would get out of this alive would be if . . .

"Let me find her."

"What?" Kagome said with a gasp. "Inuyasha, are you nuts?"

"Shut up. I have a plan," he muttered under his breath. Turning his attention back to Tsunomi, Inuyasha continued. "Let me find her. If something were to happen, if Sesshoumaru were to show up, I'd actually stand a chance against him. None of you other wimps would stand a chance. But I will _not_ kill her. She stands trial, just like anyone else guilty of a crime. If she's convicted, then so be it."

The two stared at each other for a long, tense moment. Finally, Tsunomi nodded. "I accept your terms, Inuyasha, with one stipulation. You will be accompanied by three others—one of your choosing and two of my choosing. For insurance purposes, if you will, in case anyone tries any funny business."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to protest, when he felt Kagome reach for his hand, giving it a tight squeeze. He looked to the woman at his side, and saw her softly nod her head, encouraging him to agree to the terms. "Okay, Tsunomi. It's a deal."

"Excellent," Tsunomi replied. "Your team leaves at dawn. Do not betray me, Inuyasha."

"Same goes for you, buddy."

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><p>Sesshoumaru stared loathingly into the dark cavern. The stench of filth and rotting flesh emanated from its depths, souring his nose with the foul odor. He stepped around the hundreds of bones littering the ground as he made his way to the large form noisily sleeping in the back of the cave. He looked down, glaring at the beast before him, pausing for a moment to consider the wisdom of seeking assistance from the likes of <em>him<em>.

Even if she had travelled all night and day, Rin could not have gotten very far in only one day. Her scent, while faint from that evening's rain, was still detectable. He could find her himself. However, the greater question that remained unanswered was how much distance her pursuers had made in the same amount of time. Would he again risk her safety to protect his pride?

It was a question hardly worth asking. Her trail had brought him by this cave anyway.

_Desperate times_ . . .

"Wake up," Sesshoumaru commanded, only to be greeted by more loud snores. He sneered angrily, then, roughly kicked the husky beast in the ribs, yelling his order a second time. "Wake up."

"Who the he . . .," Royakan cursed, until he opened his eyes to see the ghostly form of the daiyoukai towering over him, amber eyes glowing eerily in the dim light of the cave. Shocked, the large hell wolf scrambled to his knees. "Sesshoumaru-sama! It's a surprise to see you here."

"You are still as disgusting as ever, Royakan," Sesshoumaru said condescendingly as he continued casually scanning the squalor.

"My apologies, milord. I wasn't expecting company," Royakan replied meekly, his forehead still bowed low to the ground. "How can I be of service to you?"

"I require information," Sesshoumaru began. "Have you encountered any unusual activity in these woods recently? Any unnatural deaths or presences?"

Royakan leaned back onto his haunches and scratched his head. "Now that you mention it, there have been rumors of a creature lurking in the forest. Body-snatcher or something, I think. But then again, lots of strange creatures lurk in these woods, so I didn't think it was worth looking into."

_Of course you wouldn't, you useless slob, _Sesshoumaru thought with a scowl, before continuing his questioning. "What about a woman? Have your minions encountered a young human woman within the past day?"

"No, nothing like that," the wolf replied, shaking his head. "Why? Do you require female company, milord?"

A low growl rumbled from deep within the chest of the daiyoukai, his blood boiling at the insinuation. "I am not so pathetic as to require _your_ assistance with _that_," he hissed. "Furthermore, my business with her is none of your concern. Do you have information for me or not?"

He shook his head again. "No, milord, but I'll start looking right now. Do you have anything of hers that I can get the scent from? Lots of women get lost in these woods. I wouldn't want to bring you the wrong one by mistake."

"I want any information you find on this creature of which you spoke," Sesshoumaru said, tossing the tanto at his crouched form. "As for the girl, if you and your wolves find her, you are report this to me immediately. Do not approach her. Do not alert her to your presence. Are these tasks simple enough for you to handle?"

Royakan sniffed the blade, before handing it back to the demon lord. "Certainly, my lord, I'll find out everything I can about those rumors and the whereabouts of that girl. I won't let you down."

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to roll his eyes at the historically-unreliable lump of meat before him. He turned on his heel and walked towards the entrance of the cave, then paused, calling out a final warning to the hell wolf. "If I find that you have lied to me, or if you have been fool enough to have accidentally eaten the woman I seek, you will die. And trust me when I say, your demise will be quite . . . _elaborate_."

Royakan shuddered as the daiyoukai exited his cave, then, shook his head. He had a job to do, and he would be damned if he was going to disappoint his lord yet again. He opened his large mouth as wide as he could and released a horde of three-eyed wolves into the woods.

It was odd though. What could his lord possibly want with a human woman?

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><p>Thanks for reading! Again, feel free to leave a review! :)<p> 


	5. Searching For What Was Lost

Disclaimer: Rin, Sesshoumaru and all other characters from _Inuyasha_ belong to Rumiko Takahashi and the other various entities involved with the production of the manga and anime. I do not profit from this piece, nor is any copyright infringement intended by it.

A/N: Sorry for the delay guys. I live at work, which makes writing difficult. Thanks to everyone for your reviews. They are greatly appreciated! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter 5: Searching For What Was Lost<strong>

The first rays of light struggled to cut through the heavy cloud cover blanketing the morning sky. A light drizzle pattered against the furry head of the hell-wolf as he sluggishly trudged through the mud, as he had for the past several hours. A quick glance to the sky did not give him hope of more pleasant weather to come. It was just a lighter shade of grey.

_Man, all this work is exhausting!_

Royakan had been up all night, searching for leads on both the new arrival rumored to be lurking in the woods and Sesshoumaru's mystery woman. So far, despite all his efforts, information on either was woefully short. The only oddity he could confirm was an increase in strange behavior and deaths among the local fauna, mostly small animals—squirrels, birds, a few foxes and the like; nothing at all remarkable. The deaths could have been caused by a demon or they could have been caused by disease, too. Animals were terribly weak, almost as weak as humans.

The few cooperative demons he had encountered that night made mention of an odd, disconcerting presence in the woods. No one had actually _seen_ anything, per say. It was more a foreboding air, having appeared about three months prior and lingering ever since. Royakan was not sure what to make of that. After all, Sesshoumaru has resumed his travels through these woods at around the same time. It was possible the other demons were sensing his aura. The wolf could not help but snicker. It would be amusing if Sesshoumaru and this alleged boogeyman turned out to be one in the same.

The human woman though—she was another story altogether.

He learned she was heading north—nothing more. Whoever she was, she was smart; deliberately trying to cover her tracks to avoid detection, almost as though she knew she was being followed. With all the backtracking and false trails, it had taken his hellhounds and him hours to catch a trace of her scent. She had even gone so far as to bury some strips of fabric, presumably from the sleeve of her kimono, beneath a patch of leaves to draw them in the wrong direction. The woman may as well have been raised by demon ninja.

The rain was doing nothing to help matters either. The ground was muddy and slick from hours of drizzling rain. Royakan's fur was plastered against his form. The night air made the dampness chilly and uncomfortable. The scent trails were not as strong as they would be, were the conditions drier. Tracking her was not impossible—far from it. It was just so . . . inconvenient to undertake such a tedious search in such uncooperative weather.

Not that the demon lord would accept such an excuse for failure.

It was so bizarre though. What could the daiyoukai possibly want with a human woman? It was no secret that Sesshoumaru despised humans. It was highly out-of-character for him to seek one out. Long ago, he had heard rumors that the daiyoukai had taken a young human child into his custody, but he had never seen the two together. Even if the stories were true, the child would most certainly be an adult now. Whoever it was had probably long since moved on to tend to their own affairs in life.

Howls and bays in the distance caught his attention.

_Finally! Maybe we're getting somewhere now!_

"So, what'd you guys find?" Royakan asked as the pack of hounds drew to a stop before him. He listened to the growls and sharp barks, carefully, eyes growing wider and wider with each passing moment.

It was bad. Very bad. Definitely, _definitely_ bad.

"Sesshoumaru-dono!" Royakan cried, his husky form stumbling over his own feet as he rushed to find the daiyoukai.

He was getting closer. He could feel it.

With a quick toss of the head, Sesshoumaru shook away the damp bangs matted across his forehead, blinking away the errant droplets of water that fell into his eyes. Despite the rain and her obvious attempts to evade detection, he finally had a solid track on Rin's scent. It had been rapidly growing stronger over the past few miles, thanks in no small part to a shift in the wind.

The distance she had managed to travel on-foot in such poor weather was impressive. Even more impressive was the care she was taking in trying to hide her true path; measures likely taken to try to delay his brother, who was undoubtedly assigned the task of retrieving the girl. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he removed the handkerchief tucked between the folds of his haori. He had retrieved it shortly before daybreak, hidden amongst the branches of a large bush. He could still smell her light, sweet scent, accented by a touch of wisteria, on the square piece of silk. He felt foolish for falling for such an obvious tactic, but he could not say it was not effective.

Rin was getting sloppy though.

For the past few miles, she had made no effort to create a false trail or otherwise cover her tracks, mostly likely a result of fatigue. Sesshoumaru wondered if she has stopped to rest at all. Judging from her pace, he doubted she could have done anything but travel for two days straight, and she would probably continue pushing herself until she collapsed.

She was stubborn that way.

Even as a child, Rin had never displayed the slightest hint of comprehending the meaning of the word, "quit." It was one of her more intriguing, and occasionally annoying, qualities. Fortunately, her tenacity seemed to be serving her well at the moment. He would need to find her soon though. Her stamina would not last forever. She was only human after all.

"Sesshoumaru-dono!" bellowed a loud, frantic voice from the path behind him. Stifling a frustrated sigh, Sesshoumaru returned the handkerchief to his haori as he continued moving forward.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru-dono!" the hell-wolf called, panting heavily as he chased after the daiyoukai. "Please slow down!"

Sesshoumaru's feet drew to an abrupt halt. Behind him, the demon stumbled to avoid colliding into his back, audibly crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

_Pathetic._

"Royakan," he said coolly, turning on his heel to face the creature now kneeling prostrate before him.

"Sesshoumaru-dono, I have terrible news!" the hell-wolf cried.

He stared impassively at Royakan, waiting for him to continue. One moment passed. Then another. With every passing second, he felt his ire growing greater and greater, until he could no longer tolerate the silence. "Are you planning to tell me what this news is, or need I divine the answer for myself?"

"Ah, yes! Sorry, my lord!" Royakan exclaimed, scrambling to cover his embarrassment. "My wolves—they found the girl!"

"And?"

"She's alive, sir!"

"How fortunate for you," Sesshoumaru snipped. While the daiyoukai wanted nothing more than to find Rin unharmed, a part of him was counting on Royakan to fail, if only to justify killing the wretch. He wanted to kill something, preferably in the near future. The tension was becoming a nuisance. "Where is she?"

"She's very close! Just a few miles north of here," the hell-wolf replied, gesturing to the road behind him; the same road he had been traveling just a few moments before his progress was rudely interrupted by an imbecile telling him things he already knew.

_How much would the world lament the death of one inept forest guardian? Really?_

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms within the sleeves of his haori, his index finger tapping impatiently against his arm. "So, why exactly is this a problem? Is it because of the creature I asked you to investigate?"

"Well, no, not that. I didn't find any information about _that,_" Royakan muttered sheepishly, looking away from the blazing amber eyes of the pale form towering over him. "The problem is bandits."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. "Bandits?"

"Yes!" the stocky demon replied, vigorously nodding his head. "There's a group on bandits traveling on this very road, headed south."

"Human?"

"Yes, my lord!"

"You are daft," Sesshoumaru replied coldly, turning on his heel and back to the road ahead of him. "Pest control is not my concern."

"But the girl!" Royakan implored. "She's surely going to stumble across them if she keeps traveling in the same direction!"

Sesshoumaru did not break stride. "She will be fine."

Royakan bowed again, his forehead pressing into the mud on the ground. "Please, Sesshoumaru-dono, let me serve you by fighting these pests for you! You need not waste your time with the likes of them!"

Sesshoumaru was long gone by the time Royakan raised his head.

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><p>Let me know what you thought!<p> 


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